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Circling Koi, 20″ x 20″, variety of yarns, including Halcyon bulky weight wool yarn, on linen. Designed and hooked by Christine Pellerin, Montague, Massachusetts, 2011.
“I love the colors available in yarn and that I can just pick them off the shelf without dyeing,” says Christine.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE ARTISTS
At a meeting of a hooking guild, I overheard someone recalling that an instructor told them once that if someone is not hooking with wool strips, then they are not really hooking. To be honest, when I first thought about learning to hook rugs, I didn’t know some people used wool strips and some people used yarn or other materials. I thought everyone used yarn!
Eton Poppies, 271/2″ x 39″, medium weight wool rug yarn, partially hand dyed, on linen. Designed and hooked by Margaret Arraj (Mill River Rugs), Northampton, Massachusetts, 2012. Margaret likes that “hooking with yarn is fast and a person can use yarn directly from a cone or a ball.” She finds the flexibility of yarn, which makes it easy to hook in a random fashion, appealing.
Magic Carpet, 26″ x 36″, wool and mohair yarn from my flock, and handspun silk and embroidery thread on linen. Designed and hooked by Judy Taylor (Little House Rugs), Auburn, Washington, 2012. Judy explains that yarn is easy to find when you need it. “Never in my life has yarn been so readily available. There are knitting shops in almost any town that have lovely yarns for rug hooking . . . Now you can even find a few brands at fabric stores that work great too!” Taylor also values the forgiving nature of yarn and its malleability. “It wants to spread out on top to fill the space given. If only a small space is given, the yarn squeezes in. If more space is available, the yarn will happily fill that too.”
I was first exposed to hooking through the work of Massachusetts-based rug hooker Margaret Arraj (Mill River Rugs). While on a studio stroll, I stumbled upon her workspace and was immediately drawn in to the depth of color and the texture in all of her work. Of course, I now know that many, many people (if not the vast majority) hook exclusively with wool strips. There are, however, many people who not only prefer to hook with yarn, but also hook exclusively with yarn.
Field of Poppies, 28″ x 50″, hand-dyed three-ply wool rug yarn on linen. Designed and hooked by Sherry Fiske, Leyden, Massachusetts, 2010. Sherry appreciates yarn’s versatility. She describes yarn as “easier to use.” She also enjoys dyeing her yarn for each rug. She doesn’t always get the color she was expecting, but she describes this as a good thing.
Milo’s Rug, 38″ x 31″, bulky wool rug yarn and medium weight wool rug yarn on linen. Designed and hooked by Betsy Archer, Asheville, North Carolina, 2011. Unlike wool fabric, yarn is ready to go from the minute you pick up the ball. No cutting required. You could take apart that granny square you crocheted ten years ago and be ready to hook within minutes.
Before jumping into what it is hookers love about using yarn, here’s a quick introduction to the different types of yarn people use to hook. While knitting yarn is soft and supple, rug wool yarn is more stiff and pliable. The softer the yarn, the more difficult it is to hook with. Rug wool yarn comes in several different weights: fine, medium, bulky, and in-between. These designations speak to the thickness of each strand. Within each category, the yarn will vary in ply from one to four ply. I prefer to hook with three-ply yarn unless it is extra bulky. In that case, two-ply works well. One- and two-ply yarns also work really well for adding small details. Bulky yarn makes the hooking go quickly, as you actually hook less that you would with a lighter weight yarn. Bulky yarn also makes for a really thick, soft rug—wonderful to stand on!
Many hookers use other types of yarn to add detail and texture to their creations. This includes but is not limited to mohair, alpaca, angora, cotton, and plarn (yarn made from plastic bags). You are only limited by your imagination.
You don’t need much yarn, even a one-inch scrap will work. You can incorporate whatever little bits you have left over from those knitted socks you gave to grandma on her birthday last year! Who doesn’t have a box or bag full of bits and pieces of yarn?
Hooking rugs with yarn can be a rewarding, beautiful experience. When I overheard what that instructor said about hooking with yarn, I was immediately defensive. I thought to myself, “Hooking with yarn is just the same as hooking with wool strips!”
But I’ve changed my tune. The truth is that hooking with yarn is different from hooking with wool strips. The preparation of the yarn is different (as in, there isn’t much you have to do). The actual hooking is different (though the technique is the same). The finished product looks different. Not better or worse. Just different.
If you have never hooked with yarn, consider adding a little yarn into your next project. You just might love the texture yarn can add to your rugs. Who knows? You might even be hooked and want to make a rug made entirely with yarn!